Giant panda cub dies in National Zoo

The giant panda cub that was born in the National Zoo died over the weekend, and veterinarians and zoo officials could not identify the cause of death. The cub, which was no bigger than a stick of butter, was found after its mother was making distressing calls. Officials attempted CPR on the cub but pronounced it dead at 10:28 AM. “This is devastating for all of us here,” National Zoo director Dennis Kelly said “It’s hard to describe how much passion and energy and thought and care has gone into this.”

Mei Xang has had only one cub, Tai Shan, who was born in 2005. The cub was a celebrity in Washington before moving back to China to be part of its breeding program. The new cub was a surprise after its mother had five failed pregnancies. Mei Xang was resting comfortably after the cub’s death. It’s not known if officials will attempt to bread Mei Xang again after the failed attempts beforehand. A necropsy is being performed to find the cause of death.